You may have heard, “The spring market begins after the Super Bowl.” That of course was last Sunday, and from all early indications, the spring market of 2018 has begun. As the busiest time of year for the housing market, spring – actually, February through May – brings opportunity for buyers and sellers alike. If you’re thinking about selling your home, here are some keys to success.

Begin with a Comparative Market Analysis

Get an opinion of your home’s value from an active real estate pro. After all, “What is my house worth?” is probably the biggest question on your mind – and that’s why a Comparative Market Analysis (“CMA”) is so important. A real estate broker will prepare a CMA to give you a snapshot of your home’s current value based on comparable properties in your area. This will help you determine the appropriate asking price for your home when it comes time to list.

Get Organized

The peak season for real estate has begun, and your home should be in great showing condition at all times. While this may seem daunting, your agent can recommend services to help you get ready. Declutter and prep your home for showings and open houses by following these tips.

Yes, Do Those Necessary Home Improvements

Inspections aren’t just for homebuyers. If sellers order an inspection prior to putting their home on the market, they can identify and address issues that could arise during the escrow period. Sellers should also keep in mind that many buyers today are looking for a home that is turnkey and move-in ready. If you thought you might want to “do something” to your home, chances are your buyer will have the same idea. From painting to re-finishing floors, home improvement projects can boost a home’s sale-ability and also give it a more current look.

Have a Marketing Strategy

From the time-tested yard sign to cutting-edge content marketing, there are numerous tactics for marketing a home these days. Having a comprehensive marketing plan positions your home to get the broadest exposure and to achieve the highest possible price in the shortest amount of time. It also makes the selling process a lot more seamless. Without a doubt, the most successful sellers (and their brokers) create and follow a strategy that is tailored to their specific listing.

Be Flexible

Spring brings more competition in real estate, which means sellers need to be flexible on matters beyond just negotiating price. You might be asked to show your home at the last minute, to close quickly, or to satisfy an unusual request. Be open minded at all times and keep the end goal in mind. Don’t reject an offer just because it potentially requires more work than anticipated. If a buyer makes an offer, they are interested. Keep them engaged and work towards an agreement. After all, that’s how you can make your next move, too.

Written by Don Shea Don is the Managing Broker for the @properties Evanston office. Prior to managing, Don was a broker in the @Winnetka office. Away from work, Don can be found sailing on Lake Michigan or gardening at his Wilmette home.

With dozens of online resources and seemingly endless TV shows about real estate, it’s not surprising some people consider a DIY approach when buying or selling a home.

But the journey to a successful home sale or purchase can be overwhelming, especially with the amount of information available to consumers. Here are five reasons why a real estate broker is an indispensable partner throughout the process.

Local Experience

No amount of online research can match an experienced broker’s “in the trenches” understanding of what’s happening in the market today. Real estate markets are always changing, and trends matter most at the micro level – neighborhood by neighborhood, block by block.

Good brokers are so plugged into the market, that understanding and accounting for trends is innate. This level of knowledge is particularly important when setting a listing price or making an offer.

Marketing Exposure

We always say exposure is everything, and brokers are able to generate more exposure for properties through industry resources like the Multiple Listing Service.

When you work with an @properties broker, you simultaneously gain access to a full suite of marketing resources – from award-winning advertising to print and digital marketing. In addition, cutting-edge technology tools like the exclusive interactive CMA and the @gent app give buyers and sellers a competitive edge.

Negotiating Skills

Negotiating is a skill that’s practiced every day in real estate. And like any skill, it improves the more you learn. At @properties, we continually offer education and training classes on a wide range of topics including – you guessed it! – negotiation strategies to ensure our brokers are in the best position to help achieve your goals.

Not only will a broker negotiate on your behalf; they can also give you a completely objective and professional opinion, which is very important when buying or selling something as personal as a home.

Relationships

Real estate is a business built on relationships. That means brokers are constantly networking with other brokers, and in many cases, have access to listings before they are even on the market. Your broker can also recommend a number of other experienced professionals including real estate attorneys, home inspectors, mortgage brokers, service providers for repairs, and more.

Guidance and Support

At the end of the day, a broker is there to guide you every step of the way. There is so much more to each transaction than most clients realize – even those who have bought and sold before – and no two transactions are alike.

Your broker will bring all of the above benefits to the table, but will also help you successfully navigate all the other steps, including prepping your home for sale, knowing what to look for in your new home, partnering with your attorney and other providers to ensure your interests are protected, keeping all parties focused on the desired outcome…and so on.

Buying or selling a home is exciting but can also be stressful. Let your broker manage the process so you can relax and look forward to a successful outcome!

With dozens of online resources and seemingly endless TV shows about real estate, it’s not surprising some people consider a DIY approach when buying or selling a home.

But the journey to a successful home sale or purchase can be overwhelming, especially with the amount of information available to consumers. Here are five reasons why a real estate broker is an indispensable partner throughout the process.

Local Experience

No amount of online research can match an experienced broker’s “in the trenches” understanding of what’s happening in the market today. Real estate markets are always changing, and trends matter most at the micro level – neighborhood by neighborhood, block by block.

Good brokers are so plugged into the market, that understanding and accounting for trends is innate. This level of knowledge is particularly important when setting a listing price or making an offer.

Marketing Exposure

We always say exposure is everything, and brokers are able to generate more exposure for properties through industry resources like the Multiple Listing Service.

When you work with an @properties broker, you simultaneously gain access to a full suite of marketing resources – from award-winning advertising to print and digital marketing. In addition, cutting-edge technology tools like the exclusive interactive CMA and the @gent app give buyers and sellers a competitive edge.

Negotiating Skills

Negotiating is a skill that’s practiced every day in real estate. And like any skill, it improves the more you learn. At @properties, we continually offer education and training classes on a wide range of topics including – you guessed it! – negotiation strategies to ensure our brokers are in the best position to help achieve your goals.

Not only will a broker negotiate on your behalf; they can also give you a completely objective and professional opinion, which is very important when buying or selling something as personal as a home.

Relationships

Real estate is a business built on relationships. That means brokers are constantly networking with other brokers, and in many cases, have access to listings before they are even on the market. Your broker can also recommend a number of other experienced professionals including real estate attorneys, home inspectors, mortgage brokers, service providers for repairs, and more.

Guidance and Support

At the end of the day, a broker is there to guide you every step of the way. There is so much more to each transaction than most clients realize – even those who have bought and sold before – and no two transactions are alike.

Your broker will bring all of the above benefits to the table, but will also help you successfully navigate all the other steps, including prepping your home for sale, knowing what to look for in your new home, partnering with your attorney and other providers to ensure your interests are protected, keeping all parties focused on the desired outcome…and so on.

Buying or selling a home is exciting but can also be stressful. Let your broker manage the process so you can relax and look forward to a successful outcome!

You know when you see someone jogging and it’s less than 20 degrees outside and you think: “that man must be insane?”

Then you think how much fun it would be to bundle up, lace up a pair of skates and hit the ice — yeah, not so crazy anymore is it?

Once you get moving, do a few laps around the rink, maybe fall a couple (or five) times and your body starts heating up, you realize just how great playing and exercising in the cold really is.

Get those skates, grab the kids or call some friends, and hit one of these great outdoor ice skating rinks in and around Chicago.

Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon

On the north end of the fantastically fun Maggie Daley Park, adjacent to Millennium Park, is the Maggie Daley Skating Ribbon that attracts locals and tourists to skate the town red in swirly, zig-zag fashion.

You can rent both figure and hockey skates ($12-$14 depending on the day of the week) and grab a hot chocolate.

Best of all, admission is free.

Millennium Park McCormick Tribune Ice Rink

Open through March 4, the festive ice rink set between Michigan Avenue and Millennium Park is one of the most popular places to skate in the city.

You can pop by for a few twirls on the open rink before or after your lunch, dinner or drinks at one of the many nearby restaurants: Acanto, Cindy’s, Seven Lions or Park Grill.

You can rent skates — or get your pair sharpened — and admission is free.

Chicago Blackhawks Ice Rink at Winter Wonderfest

The magical, seasonal land that is Winter Wonderfest is set inside Navy Pier. In addition to numerous rides and attractions, you and the kids can spend some time on the indoor Chicago Blackhawks Ice Skating Rink.

Eldridge Park Lagoon

Head to Elmhurst’s Eldridge Park, where the lagoon gets used for ice skating — when the ice has gotten thick enough.

Staff will test the lagoon in six different locations and ensure it has a consistent three-day thickness of at least eight inches before opening the lagoon for skating.

So once you get the green light, it’s open season.

Admission is free and you’ll need to bring your own skates.

Park District of Oak Park

Being such a large and diverse city allows for Oak Park to offer a variety of places to ice skate.

You can hit a few places like Austin Gardens, Longfellow Park and Paul Hruby Ice Arena, which are open at various times. The first two are outdoor rinks while Paul Hruby is an indoor arena; admission for that is $7 and you can rent skates for $3.

Ari is a freelance lifestyle journalist covering food, wine, spirits and travel, which means he’s often out exploring great restaurants and bars in Chicago and on the road to places like Portugal and Argentina. Otherwise, he’s at home in Uptown with his husband and their super cute pooch, Eddie.

Tax season is on the horizon and big changes are ahead – the new tax bill will go into effect on January 1, 2018. Depending on your individual situation, there may be a few things you can do now to prepare for those changes, including maximizing your 2017 tax deductions.

Under current tax law, homeowners can deduct taxes paid to state and local governments, including property, income, and sales tax.

The new law caps the deduction at $10,000, either for property taxes in addition to state and local income taxes, or sales tax.

By prepaying property taxes that would otherwise be due in 2018, some taxpayers may be able to claim a deduction on their 2017 individual income tax return that would otherwise be lost in 2018 under the new legislation.

If you and your tax advisor decide to prepay your taxes, here is a list of prepayment options.

In Illinois

Cook County residents may prepay the 2017 1st installment tax bill (55% of the total 2016 bill) at cookcounytreasurer.com.

DuPage County residents may prepay up to 105% of their 2016 real estate tax bill at dupageco.org.

Lake County residents may prepay up to 100% of their 2016 bill. Any balance will be billed in 2017. More information is available at lakecountyil.gov.

McHenry County residents may prepay a deposit of any amount toward their 2017 bill at co.mchenry.il.us. The deposit amount will be held until 2017 tax bills are issued. Any difference must be settled by the due date of the 1st Installment.

Will County residents may prepay a minimum of 50% and a maximum of 110% of the 2016 bill at willcountytreasurer.com.

Taxpayers who fall under the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) will not receive a benefit from pre-paying. So before making any payments or claiming deductions, it’s always important that you check with your personal tax advisor for advice specific to your property or portfolio.

Maureen Moran

All information regarding a property for sale, rental, taxes or financing is from sources deemed reliable. No representation is made as to the accuracy thereof, and such information is subject to errors, omission, change of price, rental, commission, prior sale, lease or financing, or withdrawal without notice. All square footage and dimensions are approximate. Exact dimensions can be obtained by retaining the services of a professional architect or engineer.

All data is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed accurate by the MLS, @properties, or Maureen Moran. See Terms of Service for additional restrictions.

The number of bedrooms listed above is not a legal conclusion. Each person should consult with his/her own attorney, architect or zoning expert to make a determination as to the number of rooms in the unit that may be legally used as a bedroom.

Our Privacy Policy

Doing business as Maureen Moran, Realtor, I recognize that you expect privacy and security when it comes to information that personally identifies you and allows you to be individually contacted ('Personal Information'). I have adopted the following online privacy policy because I understand the need to safeguard the information you may be providing to us at our web site.

Online Forms

When you provide me with Personal Information through my various forms, I may use that information to occasionally notify you about important functionality changes to our web site. I may need to know your name, e-mail address, mailing address and telephone numbers so I can be sure to get in touch with you when and how you ask me to. Your information will not be shared or sold to any person or entity.

About Our Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer hard drive. My cookies allow me to welcome you back to my site and provide you with your personalized home searches. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can change your browser to prevent cookies from being placed on your computer without your consent. You can still use my regular home search feature and every other function on my site even though your computer will not accept cookies. Cookies, by themselves, cannot be used to discover your identity and I do not know your identity unless you tell us.

Links to other web sites

My web site contains links to and from other web sites and may be in the form of display advertising. I cannot guarantee that web sites other than ChicagoDreamHome.com will respect and protect your Personal Information in the same manner that I do. I urge you to go to and read the Privacy Statements of other web sites when you visit them for your own protection. I am also not responsible for the content of web sites other than ChicagoDreamHome.com.

Your consent

When you provide me with Personal Information, you consent to the collection and use of this information by me for providing services necessary to complete your transaction. If I decide to change my privacy policy, I will post changes on this page so that you are always aware of what information I collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances I disclose it.

Doing business as Maureen Moran, Realtor, I recognize that you expect privacy and security when it comes to information that personally identifies you and allows you to be individually contacted ('Personal Information'). I have adopted the following online privacy policy because I understand the need to safeguard the information you may be providing to us at our web site.

Online Forms

When you provide me with Personal Information through my various forms, I may use that information to occasionally notify you about important functionality changes to our web site. I may need to know your name, e-mail address, mailing address and telephone numbers so I can be sure to get in touch with you when and how you ask me to. Your information will not be shared or sold to any person or entity.

About Our Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer hard drive. My cookies allow me to welcome you back to my site and provide you with your personalized home searches. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can change your browser to prevent cookies from being placed on your computer without your consent. You can still use my regular home search feature and every other function on my site even though your computer will not accept cookies. Cookies, by themselves, cannot be used to discover your identity and I do not know your identity unless you tell us.

Links to other web sites

My web site contains links to and from other web sites and may be in the form of display advertising. I cannot guarantee that web sites other than ChicagoDreamHome.com will respect and protect your Personal Information in the same manner that I do. I urge you to go to and read the Privacy Statements of other web sites when you visit them for your own protection. I am also not responsible for the content of web sites other than ChicagoDreamHome.com.

Your consent

When you provide me with Personal Information, you consent to the collection and use of this information by me for providing services necessary to complete your transaction. If I decide to change my privacy policy, I will post changes on this page so that you are always aware of what information I collect, how we use it, and under what circumstances I disclose it.